It’s Not Too Late For The Senate To Do The Right Thing
Louisiana families are being told the state cannot afford to fully fund the LA GATOR education savings account program. Yet buried throughout the Senate amendments to HB 1 are millions of dollars in egregious pork barrel spending for local pet projects, political favors, and nonessential expenditures.
If lawmakers truly believe the state faces difficult budget choices, taxpayers deserve to know why these projects were prioritized ahead of educational opportunity for Louisiana children.
The spending spree includes:
$5 million for local park and recreation improvements
$1 million for A Good Deed Foundation
$545,200 for Kingston Park improvements
$500,000 for Bossier City striping projects
$500,000 for cemetery associations in Lake Charles
$450,000 for museum operating expenses
$425,000 for a university athletic department sound system
$250,000 for Baton Rouge Green operating expenses
$250,000 for the Oil Center Association
Tens of thousands more for local festivals, landscaping projects, fitness trails, and nonprofit facilities
While these things are generally good ideas, they are not core functions of state government. They are pork barrel earmarks benefiting narrow local interests and politically connected organizations while families across Louisiana are left wondering why lawmakers suddenly claim there is not enough money for school choice.
Louisiana taxpayers should ask a simple question: if the state can afford hundreds of thousands for beautification projects, cemetery associations, museum subsidies, athletic sound systems, and festival funding, why can’t it fully fund educational opportunity for children?
LA GATOR was created to give parents more control over their children’s education by allowing families to use education savings accounts for tuition, tutoring, curriculum, and other approved educational expenses. For many families, especially those trapped in failing schools, the program represents hope and opportunity. Instead of fully supporting those families, lawmakers are protecting pork barrel spending that serves far narrower interests.
The Senate still has time to fix this.
Lawmakers can eliminate wasteful earmarks, cut unnecessary local spending projects, and restore full funding for LA GATOR before the budget reaches final passage. If the state can afford millions for park upgrades, striping projects, landscaping, nonprofit subsidies, and local festivals, it can afford to prioritize Louisiana students.
This budget debate is ultimately about priorities. Right now, the message from Baton Rouge is that pork barrel spending comes first and children come second.
It is not too late for the Senate to do the right thing and restore funding for LA GATOR.